PROLOGUE

My name is Charlotte Lucy Elizabeth Windsor. Lottie for short. I have a secret. A very big secret, and one I shan't tell you yet. It is for me to know and you to find out, which you probably will by the time this story has concluded.

CHAPTER 1

As I stepped through the pillar at King's Cross Station to Platform 9 3/4, I had to pinch myself. I couldn't believe the time had finally come; I was a witch and going to Hogwarts! Although I'd been brought up knowing about magic ever since I could remember, it was still surreal thinking that I was a part of this world.

After bidding farewell to my mother and brother, I boarded the train, carrying my barn owl, Cliff. I hoped to find an empty compartment and wait for people to come to me, but after a quick scan of the train, I decided that would be unlikely. Therefore, I slipped into the first compartment I could find that had fellow first years in, apologetically asking if it was okay for me to stay.

There were only two people in the compartment: a girl with bushy hair and big teeth, who introduced herself as Hermione Granger, and a boy, small and who appeared to be worried and upset about something. I recognised him as Neville Longbottom from pictures my mother had shown me.

After asking what the problem was, he explained that he had lost his toad, yet was convinced he had had it when he boarded the train. The girl, Hermione, then had to explain for him that the toad was called Trevor and had already been lost at least once that morning already. By this time, the train was moving, narrowing-down our search area and confining Trevor to the train, if of course, he was in fact on it. So, sliding closer to Neville, I told him what I thought: "We'll help look for him, Neville. Toads like dark, damp places, and in a busy place like this, Trevor will probably look for somewhere quiet to be too. However, since we're on a train, those are quite hard to come by so our best option is probably just to ask as many people as we can."

Hermione continued, "We will find him, Neville. There's only so far he could have gone. Come on." She left the compartment, dragging me and Neville behind her.

Neville looked in the dark, small corners I had recommended, while Hermione and I asked anyone and everyone we could. Unfortunately, the common theme among their answers was, "We haven't seen him, but we'll tell you if we do". It was rather annoying.

We met a couple of other first years, but no one of particular interest. That was, until we got to the last compartment in our carriage. Inside, two boys (a red-head and a raven-haired boy with glasses) were eating as many sweets as they possibly could, most of it probably from the Trolley Witch. Hermione asked about Trever as normal, but stopped when she noticed the red-head was holding his wand, presumably about to show a spell to his friend. Hermione questioned, and let herself into the compartment, gesturing me to follow.

We sat down, just as the red-head cleared his throat and muttered something I knew couldn't be a real spell as it only caused a few sparks to fly out if his wand. Hermione proceeded to repair the scruffy black haired boy's glasses, before exclaiming, "You're Harry Potter! I'm Hermione Granger, and, you are?" She looked down at the red-head, who then introduced himself as Ron Weasley. I then told them who I was, and after telling Ron about some dirt on his nose, Hermione flounced out the compartment, me tailing behind.

We met Neville on the way back to our compartment. He was beaming and clutching his toad. He said he'd found him by the coal store with the driver, just where it was dark and quiet, like I'd said. He then explained that the driver said we were five minutes away from Hogwart's, and that we should get changed. We bid him farewell as we headed off to the toilets, both me and Hermione feeling this would be a good year.